On the Boston Bruins …
Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald: Bruins president Cam Neely is generally happy with the team as they head out of the All-Star break. They are trying to build something that is sustainable for more than one or two years. Neely on there being just under a month to the trade deadline.
“We certainly have identified where we’d like to try and improve the team,” Neely said. “It’s just a matter of making that happen. (general manager) Don (Sweeney) has been working on that. As we get closer to the deadline more things will heat up.
“You look at the standings right now and almost every team still thinks that it has a shot at making the playoffs, so there’s a lot more buyers than sellers.”
Neely on trading for help now versus protecting future assets.
“Well, it really depends,” Neely said. “If it’s someone we think will help us the rest of this year and in future years, then there’s a thought that, ‘OK, we can give up a player or players who maybe aren’t going to develop for two, three, four years.’ And then there’s the ‘rental’ market. With that I think you’re in a little different position. If you say, ‘Here’s a piece that can really put us over the top,’ then that’s a different conversation.
“We’ve just kind of stockpiled a good group of young assets. There’s a lot of good kids there that we can work with and develop. But if there’s an opportunity to get someone who’s ahead of that development curve — and we have to give up a future prospect — maybe that makes sense.”
On the Winnipeg Jets …
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 960 on the trade market and the Winnipeg Jets.
“But I do think that Winnipeg’s decisions impact the market the most, and over the next four weeks they’re probably going to determine a lot of what happens.
“And again, like I said, I think they’re taking a real effort to sign Byfuglien. I think with Ladd – there is a feeling right now the agreement isn’t there, but there’s still time for that to change.”
Friedman on if Jacob Trouba would be on the trade market if the Jets are able to re-sign Dustin Byfuglien.
“If they re-sign Byfuglien, you’ve got to think either one of him or Myers is going to go. Before this year I would have said not a chance. I mean, he was really growing. He was such an improved player. If they re-sign Byfuglien, you’ve got to think one of the two of them is. And I think it all just depends on what is Trouba’s ask.
“If they want it long-term, the report was 8 years, $7 million. Before this year, that was probably in the ballpark. I wonder if now, because he’s had such a difficult year, it becomes more of a bridge deal, and maybe they don’t have to deal him as quickly – or Myers.”
